Before obtaining her master’s degree from the Université de Montréal, Nadia Labrie graduated from the Conservatoire de musique du Québec with First Class Honours and Great Distinction. As a soloist, she has appeared with orchestras on several occasions, performing Mozart’s Concerto No. 2 and Concerto for Flute and Harp; Devienne’s Concerto No. 7; Concerto Tradiciónuevo for flute, guitar, and orchestra by Patrick Roux (a Canadian commission); Fantaisie brillante sur “Carmen” by François Borne and his adaptation of Pablo de Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Orchestre classique de Montréal, Arion Baroque Orchestra, the Kamloops Symphony (B.C.), and the Orchestre symphonique de l’Estuaire.
She served as principal flute with the Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra for two years, touring the world with such renowned soloists as Anne-Sophie Mutter and James Ehnes, under the direction of numerous eminent conductors, including Kurt Masur, Yoav Talmi, and Franz-Paul Decker. Since 1998, Nadia and her twin sister Annie Labrie have performed as the duo Simila, which has been cited as “the best flute and guitar duo” by the UK’s Classical Guitar magazine.
Together, they have released four albums on the Analekta label, of which Nota Del Sol won the Félix Award for Instrumental Album of the Year at the 2004 ADISQ Gala. Since its formation, the duo has gained international renown, performing over 500 concerts in 13 countries. In 2018, Labrie released her album Flûte Passion : Schubert, in 2020, Flûte Passion : Bach, and in 2021, Flûte Passion : Mozart, which was nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2021 ADISQ Gala.
Labrie was awarded the Governor General’s Academic Medal for Excellence during her college studies. She also served as a judge for the Canadian Music Competition and was honoured with the distinction of Relève citoyenne by the lieutenant governor of Quebec and the president of Celebrations Canada, Marc Garneau. Having developed a strong interest in early flutes in recent years, she has honed the art with the renowned Claire Guimond.
